Jose Garcia has always had a passion for helping people.
Whether it’s assisting those with substance abuse issues, serving as chairman of the Hermiston Hispanic Advisory Committee or helping to find a solution to the polluted groundwater affecting families in Morrow County.
On Friday, July 7, Garcia was appointed to the Lower Umatilla Groundwater Management Area (LUGMA) committee which is looking into the cause of dangerous nitrate levels in private wells in the Boardman area.
Garcia and other ag and Latino leaders met with Gov. Tina Kotek in May when she visited Umatilla and Morrow counties. Following her visit, Kotek said she wanted to add a bilingual member to the committee since many of those affected by the polluted water in Boardman are Latino.
“When she was here, she talked to me and got know me,” said Garcia, who is director of New Horizons, a substance abuse treatment program in Hermiston. “She asked my views on different issues and about my involvement in the community.”
Garcia was appointed to the committee during Friday’s LUGMA meeting in Irrigon.
“I’m just a guy looking for solutions to complex problems,” Garcia said. “I’m pretty thrilled and honored to be on the committee and working with the other members.”
Garcia’s history of helping others got him connected with Oregon Solutions, a nonprofit that works in communities around the state to solve problems ranging from economic to environmental issues. While on the committee, Garcia got to know Randy Jones, the LUGMA committee’s liaison to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
Garcia said Jones encouraged him to take a spot on the LUGMA committee. Garcia intends to put his passion and energy to good use on the committee and he’s optimistic the water problem in Morrow County will be solved.
“The committee is moving toward a solution,” he said. “We’re going to take care of this.”
Garcia, who has lived in Hermiston since 1989 and has three children who have graduated from Hermiston High School, said his new role will be a rewarding one.
“I love to help people,” he said. “If someone needs a meal, I’ll give them a meal. If someone needs a ride, I’ll give them a ride – anything I can do.”
